The prior art embraces packets of reclosable type consisting in a container of parallelepiped appearance that presents a bottom wall and four side walls, two larger and two smaller, paired and extending parallel to a predominating longitudinal axis. The packet is also furnished uppermost with a lid, hinged to the container at one end of one of the larger walls, and retained in the closed position by means of a tongue attached permanently to the selfsame container and designed to engage a lip presented by an inside face of the lid.
The products contained in such packets often cannot be dispensed satisfactorily, in particular small tablet-type items, given that with the lid in the open position, the size of the opening through which the contents are released is the same as the entire cross sectional area of the packet.
In addition, the lid impedes the passage of the contents when shaken out of the packet.
Finally, after the lid has been opened a given number of times, the tongue becomes no longer able to guarantee a firm closure of the lid, and the contents are liable to spill out.
Also embraced by the prior art are packets of the type disclosed in international patent application PCT/IB2006/001635, incorporated here by reference in its entirety, which comprise an outer casing and an inner casing, furnished with an opening, accommodated slidably in the outer casing and capable of sliding movement between an open position and a closed position.
Such packets also comprise stabilizing means located between the outer casing and the inner casing, by which the inner casing is held firm in each of the two positions mentioned above.
The conventional packets in question do not guarantee a sufficiently secure closure in the event of their containing medicinal pastilles, or indeed any other type of loose item, that could be harmful to children.